Indicators of Microbial Sulfate Reduction in Acidic Sulfide-Rich Mine Tailings

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are thought to be actively involved in the cycling of sulfur in acidic mine tailings. However, most studies have used circumstantial evidence to assess microbial sulfate activity in such environments. In order to fully ascertain the role of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in sulfur cycling in acidic mine tailings, we measured sulfate reduction rates, sulfur isotopic composition of reduced sulfide fractions, porewaters and solid-phase geochemistry and SRB populations in four different Cu-Zn tailings located in Timmins, Ontario, Canada. The tailings were sampled in the summer and in the spring, shortly after snowmelt. The results first indicate that all four sites showed very high sulfate reduction rates in the summer (～100–1000 nmol cm^{? 3}d^?1), which corresponded to the presence of sulfide in the porewaters and to high SRB populations. In some of the sites, zones of microbial sulfate reduction also corresponded to a decline of organic carbon and to an apparent pyrite (with slightly negative δ³⁴S values) enrichment around the same depth. Microbial sulfate reduction was also important in permanently acidic (pH 2–3) mine tailings sites, suggesting that SRB can be active under very acidic conditions. Secondly, the results showed that microbial sulfate reduction was greatly reduced in the spring, suggesting that temperature might be a key factor in the activity of SRB. However, a closer look at the results indicated that temperature was not the sole factor and that acidic conditions and limited substrate availability in the spring appeared to be important as well in limiting microbial sulfate par reduction in sulfidic mine tailings. Finally, the results indicate that sulfur undergoes rapid cycling throughout the year and that microbial sulfate reduction and metal sulfide precipitation do not appear to be a permanent sink for metals.     

Identification of sulfate-reducing bacteria in methylmercury-contaminated mine tailings by analysis of SSU rRNA genes

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are often used in bioremediation of acid mine drainage because microbial sulfate reduction increases pH and produces sulfide that binds with metals. Mercury methylation has also been linked with sulfate reduction. Previous geochemical analysis indicated the occurrence of sulfate reduction in mine tailings, but no molecular characterization of the mine tailings-associated microbial community has determined which SRB are present. This study characterizes the bacterial communities of two geochemically contrasting, high-methylmercury mine tailing environments, with emphasis on SRB, by analyzing small subunit (SSU) rRNA genes present in the tailings sediments and in enrichment cultures inoculated with tailings. Novel Deltaproteobacteria and Firmicutes -related sequences were detected in both the pH-neutral gold mine tailings and the acidic high-sulfide base-metal tailings. At the subphylum level, the SRB communities differed between sites, suggesting that the community structure was dependent on local geochemistry. Clones obtained from the gold tailings and enrichment cultures were more similar to previously cultured isolates whereas clones from acidic tailings were more closely related to uncultured lineages identified from other acidic sediments worldwide. This study provides new insights into the novelty and diversity of bacteria colonizing mine tailings, and identifies specific organisms that warrant further investigation with regard to their roles in mercury methylation and sulfur cycling in these environments.     

Significance of microbial communities and interactions in safeguarding reactive mine tailings by ecological engineering

Pyritic mine tailings (mineral waste generated by metal mining) pose significant risk to the environment as point sources of acidic, metal-rich effluents (acid mine drainage [AMD]). While the accelerated oxidative dissolution of pyrite and other sulfide minerals in tailings by acidophilic chemolithotrophic prokaryotes has been widely reported, other acidophiles (heterotrophic bacteria that catalyze the dissimilatory reduction of iron and sulfur) can reverse the reactions involved in AMD genesis, and these have been implicated in the "natural attenuation" of mine waters. We have investigated whether by manipulating microbial communities in tailings (inoculating with iron- and sulfur-reducing acidophilic bacteria and phototrophic acidophilic microalgae) it is possible to mitigate the impact of the acid-generating and metal-mobilizing chemolithotrophic prokaryotes that are indigenous to tailing deposits. Sixty tailings mesocosms were set up, using five different microbial inoculation variants, and analyzed at regular intervals for changes in physicochemical and microbiological parameters for up to 1 year. Differences between treatment protocols were most apparent between tailings that had been inoculated with acidophilic algae in addition to aerobic and anaerobic heterotrophic bacteria and those that had been inoculated with only pyrite-oxidizing chemolithotrophs; these differences included higher pH values, lower redox potentials, and smaller concentrations of soluble copper and zinc. The results suggest that empirical ecological engineering of tailing lagoons to promote the growth and activities of iron- and sulfate-reducing bacteria could minimize their risk of AMD production and that the heterotrophic populations could be sustained by facilitating the growth of microalgae to provide continuous inputs of organic carbon.     

Arsenic contamination of soils and sediments from tailings in the vicinity of Myungbong Au mine,Korea

Abstract

Geochemical characteristics of As contamination in the Myungbong gold mine area in Korea were investigated, and the mine tailings were found to contain high concentrations of As (2,500–6,420 mg/kg). The mine tailings are an obvious candidate for the source of contamination in the study area. From the sequential, and oxalate, extraction analyses the majority of the As in the tailings was found to be associated with Fe oxides produced when sulfide minerals are oxidised. Mineralogical examinations showed the formation of poorly crystalline Fe oxides on a rim of pyrite, onto which the As was retained. The sediments of two ponds affected by the tailings also contained significant levels of As. High concentrations of dissolved As were also found in pond and stream waters. It has been suggested that the mobility of the As was increased by the reductive dissolution of Fe oxides under reducing conditions in the pond. Agricultural fields, located beneath the tailing dumps, have been contaminated by the continuous use of contaminated stream water and groundwater for irrigation.     

Microbial communities in a porphyry copper tailings impoundment and their impact on the geochemical dynamics of the mine waste

The distribution and diversity of acidophilic bacteria of a tailings impoundment at the La Andina copper mine, Chile, was examined. The tailings have low sulfide (1.7% pyrite equivalent) and carbonate (1.4% calcite equivalent) contents and are stratified into three distinct zones: a surface (0-70-80 cm) 'oxidation zone' characterized by low-pH (2.5-4), a 'neutralization zone' (70-80 to 300-400 cm) and an unaltered 'primary zone' below 400 cm. A combined cultivation-dependent and biomolecular approach (terminal restriction enzyme fragment length polymorphism and 16S rRNA clone library analysis) was used to characterize the indigenous prokaryotic communities in the mine tailings. Total cell counts showed that the microbial biomass was greatest in the top 125 cm of the tailings. The largest numbers of bacteria (10(9) g(-1) dry weight of tailings) were found at the oxidation front (the junction between the oxidation and neutralization zones), where sulfide minerals and oxygen were both present. The dominant iron-/sulfur-oxidizing bacteria identified at the oxidation front included bacteria of the genus Leptospirillum (detected by molecular methods), and Gram-positive iron-oxidizing acidophiles related to Sulfobacillus (identified both by molecular and cultivation methods). Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans was also detected, albeit in relatively small numbers. Heterotrophic acidophiles related to Acidobacterium capsulatum were found by molecular methods, while another Acidobacterium-like bacterium and an Acidiphilium sp. were isolated from oxidation zone samples. A conceptual model was developed, based on microbiological and geochemical data derived from the tailings, to account for the biogeochemical evolution of the Piuquenes tailings impoundment.     

Enrichment of sulfate-reducing bacteria and resulting mineral formation in media mimicking pore water metal ion concentrations and pH conditions of acidic pit lakes

Acid mine drainage sites are extreme environments with high acidity and metal ion concentrations. Under anoxic conditions, microbial sulfate reduction may trigger the formation of secondary minerals as a result of H2S production and pH increase. This process was studied in batch experiments with enrichment cultures from acidic sediments of a pit lake using growth media set at different pH values and containing elevated concentrations of Fe2? and Al3?. At initial pH values of 5 and 6, sulfate reduction occurred shortly after inoculation. Sulfate- reducing bacteria affiliated to the genus Desulfosporosinus predominated the microbial communities as shown by 16S rRNA gene analysis performed at the end of the incubation. At initial pH values of 3 and 4, sulfate reduction and cell growth occurred only after an extended lag phase, however, at a higher rate than in the less acidic assays. At the end of the growth phase, enrichments were dominated by Thermodesulfobium spp. suggesting that these sulfate reducers were better adapted to acidic conditions. Iron sulfides in the bulk phase were common in all assays, but specific aluminum precipitates formed in close association with cell surfaces and may function as a detoxification mechanism of dissolved Al species at low pH.     

Electron donors for biological sulfate reduction

Biological sulfate reduction is widely used for treating sulfate-containing wastewaters from industries such as mining, tannery, pulp and paper, and textiles. In biological reduction, sulfate is converted to hydrogen sulfide as the end product. The process is, therefore, ideally suited for treating metal-containing wastewater from which heavy metals are simultaneously removed through the formation of metal sulfides. Metal sulfide precipitates are more stable than metal hydroxides that are sensitive to pH change. Theoretically, conversion of 1 mol of sulfate requires 0.67 mol of chemical oxygen demand or electron donors. Sulfate rich wastewaters are usually deficient in electron donors and require external addition of electron donors in order to achieve complete sulfate reduction. This paper reviews various electron donors employed in biological sulfate reduction. Widely used electron donors include hydrogen, methanol, ethanol, acetate, lactate, propionate, butyrate, sugar, and molasses. The selection criteria for suitable electron donors are discussed.     

A field study of constructed wetlands for preventing and treating acid mine drainage

The formation of acid mine drainage (AMD) from mine tailings is a severe environmental problem associated with tailings impoundments. The study evaluated the ability of wetlands built on tailings impoundments to prevent AMD formation and to treat already formed AMD, with special emphasis on the role of wetland plants in the remediation process. Four small-scale surface-flow wetlands of different designs, containing either mine tailings or sand, an inflow of AMD or unpolluted water, and with or without emergent plants (Phragmites australis, Carex rostrata, and Eriophorum angustifolium), were constructed at the Kristineberg mine tailings impoundment in northern Sweden in 2004. Water samples were collected every month in 2006 at inflow and outflow in order to analyse metals, sulphate, pH, and redox potential. At the end of 2006, plant and sediment samples were collected to enable the analysis of metal concentrations. The concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cd, and sulphate and pH did not change after passage through the wetlands treating AMD. However, the Cu concentration decreased by 36–57%, with the decrease higher in the presence than in the absence of plants. The study of AMD prevention indicated that metal concentrations in impoundment water tend to decrease as the water passes through the wetland. However, sulphate concentrations increase and the pH decreases in the water, suggesting sulphide oxidation of the mine tailings. On the other hand, wetland plants increased the pH, decreased the redox potential, and increased the metal concentrations in the substrate, despite the fact that metal uptake in the studied wetland plants accounted for only 0.002–2.9% of the annual metal loading into the wetlands, suggesting that plants promote metal sedimentation and adsorption. Emergent plants and the wetlands constructed in this study were thus inadequate to treat the very harsh AMD at the Kristineberg mine site.     

Sulfate Reduction Based Bioprocesses for the Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage and the Recovery of Metals

Biological sulfate reduction is increasingly replacing chemical unit processes in mining biotechnology. Sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) can be used for treating ground‐ and surface waters contaminated with acid mine drainage (AMD), and for recovering metals from wastewater and process streams. Biologically produced H₂S precipitates metals as metal sulfides, while biogenic bicarbonate alkalinity neutralizes acidic waters. This paper reviews various passive and active SRB‐based alternatives as well as some process design aspects, such as reactor types, process configurations, and choices of substrates for sulfate reduction. The latest developments of using various low‐cost substrates together with new bioprocess designs are increasing the uses and applications of SRB‐based bioreactors in AMD control and selective metal recovery.     

Microbial Dissimilatory Sulfur Cycle in Acid Mine Water

Ferric, sulfate, and hydrogen ions are produced from pyritic minerals associated with coal as a result of autotrophic bacterial metabolism. Water carrying these ions accumulated behind a porous dam composed of wood dust originating at a log-cutting mill. As water seeped through the porous dam, it was enriched in organic nutrients which then supported growth and metabolism of heterotrophic bacteria in the water downstream from the dam. The heterotrophic microflora within and below the sawdust dam included dissimilatory sulfate-reducing anaerobic bacteria which reduce sulfate to sulfide. The sulfide produced caused the chemical reduction of ferric to ferrous ion, and black FeS precipitate was deposited on the pond bottom. A net increase in the pH of the lower pond water was observed when compared to the upper pond water. Microbial activity in the wood dust was demonstrated, and a sequence of cellulose degradation processes was inferred on the basis of sugar accumulation in mixed cultures in the laboratory, ultimately yielding fermentation products which serve as nutrients for sulfate-reducing bacteria. Some of the microorganisms were isolated and characterized. The biochemical and growth characteristics of pure culture isolates were generally consistent with observed reactions in the acidic environment, with the exception of sulfate-reducing bacteria. Mixed cultures which contained sulfate-reducing bacteria reduced sulfate at pH 3.0 in the laboratory with sawdust as the only nutrient. Pure cultures of sulfate-reducing bacteria isolated from the mixed cultures did not reduce sulfate below pH 5.5.     

3种木本植物在铅锌和铜矿砂中的生长及对重金属的吸收

通过盆栽试验评价3种木本植物紫穗槐、桤木和黄连木修复铅锌矿和铜矿尾矿的潜力。结果表明,150d后3种植物在矿砂中都能生长,其中黄连木在铅锌矿砂中生长受到明显抑制,桤木的叶绿素含量显著降低。3种植物的根系发育在2种矿砂中没有受到显著抑制。重金属在3种植物组织中的含量为17.66 -55.36 mg/kg (铜)、2.67-196.00 mg/kg(铅)、58.93-333.67 (锌,铅锌矿砂)和49.20-199.33(锌,铜矿砂)。3种植物的生物富集系数(BCF)和转移系数(TF)值都小于1。60d后,桤木和黄连木叶片的叶绿素荧光参数与对照相比没有显著变化,PSⅡ的最大量子产量有下降的趋势。重金属胁迫后显著增加Mg、Fe、Cu在功能叶的含量,显著地降低Mn的含量。因此可利用固氮植物紫穗槐在尾矿区造林和修复。     

Understanding the Anodic Mechanism of a Seafloor Fuel Cell: Interactions Between Geochemistry and Microbial Activity

Seafloor fuel cells made with graphite electrodes generate electricity by promoting electron transfer in response to a natural voltage difference (−0.7 to −0.8 V) between anoxic sediments and overlying oxic seawater. Geochemical impacts of a seafloor fuel cell on sediment solids and porewaters were examined to identify the anodic mechanisms and substrates available for current production. In an estuarine environment with little dissolved sulfide, solid-phase acid volatile sulfide and Cr²⁺-reducible sulfur minerals decreased significantly toward the anode after 7 months of nearly continuous energy harvesting. Porewater iron and sulfate increased by millimolar amounts. Scanning electron microscope images showed a biofilm overcoating the anode, and electron microprobe analyses revealed accumulations of sulfur, iron, silicon and phosphorus at the electrode surface. Sulfur deposition was also observed on a laboratory fuel cell anode used to generate electricity with only dissolved sulfide as an electron donor. Moreover, current densities and voltages displayed by these purely chemical cells were similar to the values measured with field devices. These results indicate that electron transfer to seafloor fuel cells can readily result in the oxidation of dissolved and solid-phase forms of reduced sulfur producing mainly S⁰ which deposits at the electrode surface. This oxidation product is consistent with the observed enrichment of bacteria most closely related to Desulfobulbus/Desulfocapsa genera within the anode biofilm, and its presence is proposed to promote a localized biogeochemical cycle whereby biofilm bacteria regenerate sulfate and sulfide. This electron-shuttling mechanism may co-occur while these or other bacteria use the anode directly as a terminal electron acceptor.     

Formation of Covellite (CuS) Under Biological Sulfate-Reducing Conditions

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) play a major role in the precipitation of metal sulfides in the environment. In this work, biogenic copper sulfide formation was examined in cultures of SRB and compared to chemically initiated Cu sulfide precipitation as a reference system. Mixed cultures of SRB were incubated at 22, 45, and 60°C in nutrient solutions that contained copper sulfate. Abiotic reference samples were produced by reacting uninoculated liquid media with Na₂S solutions under otherwise identical conditions. Precipitates were collected anaerobically by centrifugation, frozen in liquid N₂, and freeze-dried, followed by analysis using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy. Covellite (CuS) was the only mineral found in the precipitates. Covellite was less crystalline in the biogenic precipitates than in the abiotic samples based on XRD peak widths and peak to background ratios. Poor crystallinity may be the result of slower precipitation rates in bacterial cultures as compared to the abiotic reference systems. Furthermore, bacterial cells may inhibit the nucleation steps that lead to crystal formation. Incubation at elevated temperatures improved the crystallinity of the biotic specimens.     

Analysis of bacterial diversity in acidic pond water and compost after treatment of artificial acid mine drainage for metal removal

The microbial population of a sludge amended leaf compost material utilized for treatment of artificial acid mine drainage was studied by culture-independent molecular methods. Iron-rich and sulfurous wastewater (artificial acid mine drainage) was circulated through a column bioreactor for 16 months. After 12 months the column was inoculated with a mixed culture from an acidic pond receiving acid mine drainage from a tailings impoundment at a decommissioned site in Kristineberg, North Sweden. Hydrogen sulfide odor and the formation of black precipitates indicated that sulfate-reduction occurred in the column. 16S rDNA gene analysis by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, cloning, and sequencing as well as fluorescent in situ hybridization confirmed the presence of microorganisms closely related to sulfate-reducing bacteria and microorganisms from the genera Pseudoxanthmonas, Dechlorosoma, Desulfovibrio, Agrobacterium, Methylocapsa, Rhodococcus, Sulfobacillus, and some unidentified bacteria. Sulfate-reducing bacteria were found in the column bioreactor 2 weeks after inoculation, but not thereafter. This suggests they were in low abundance, even though sulfate remediation rates were significant. Instead, the population contained species similar to those previously found to utilize humic substances released from the compost material.     

Barite encrustation of benthic sulfur‐oxidizing bacteria at a marine cold seep

Crusts and chimneys composed of authigenic barite are found at methane seeps and hydrothermal vents that expel fluids rich in barium. Microbial processes have not previously been associated with barite precipitation in marine cold seep settings. Here, we report on the precipitation of barite on filaments of sulfide‐oxidizing bacteria at a brine seep in the Gulf of Mexico. Barite‐mineralized bacterial filaments in the interiors of authigenic barite crusts resemble filamentous sulfide‐oxidizing bacteria of the genus Beggiatoa. Clone library and iTag amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene show that the barite crusts that host these filaments also preserve DNA of Candidatus Maribeggiatoa, as well as sulfate‐reducing bacteria. Isotopic analyses show that the sulfur and oxygen isotope compositions of barite have lower δ³⁴S and δ¹⁸O values than many other marine barite crusts, which is consistent with barite precipitation in an environment in which sulfide oxidation was occurring. Laboratory experiments employing isolates of sulfide‐oxidizing bacteria from Gulf of Mexico seep sediments showed that under low sulfate conditions, such as those encountered in brine fluids, sulfate generated by sulfide‐oxidizing bacteria fosters rapid barite precipitation localized on cell biomass, leading to the encrustation of bacteria in a manner reminiscent of our observations of barite‐mineralized Beggiatoa in the Gulf of Mexico. The precipitation of barite directly on filaments of sulfide‐oxidizing bacteria, and not on other benthic substrates, suggests that sulfide oxidation plays a role in barite formation at certain marine brine seeps where sulfide is oxidized to sulfate in contact with barium‐rich fluids, either prior to, or during, the mixing of those fluids with sulfate‐containing seawater in the vicinity of the sediment/water interface. As with many other geochemical interfaces that foster mineral precipitation, both biological and abiological processes likely contribute to the precipitation of barite at marine brine seeps such as the one studied here.     

Bioleaching of heavy metals from mine tailings by indigenous sulfur-oxidizing bacteria: effects of substrate concentration

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of substrate concentration (elemental sulfur) on remobilization of heavy metals from mine tailings by indigenous sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Also, the variation in the binding forms of heavy metals before and after bioleaching was explored. This work showed the laboratory results of bioleaching experiments on Pb-Zn-Cu mine tailings. The results showed that 97.54% Zn, 97.12% Cu, and 44.34% Pb could be removed from mine tailings by the bioleaching experiment after 13 days at 2% w/v substrate concentration. The results also indicated that substrate concentration 2% was found to be best to bacterial activity and metal solubilization of the five substrate concentration tested (0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 5%) under the chosen experimental conditions. The bioleaching had a significant impact on changes in partitioning of heavy metals.     

Mineralogy and geochemistry of tailings from a gold mine in northeastern Thailand

Mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of tailings from a gold mine in northeastern Thailand were investigated in relation to acid mine drainage (AMD) and the release potentials of toxic elements. The tailings can be divided into upper tailings and lower tailings. The upper tailings usually contain pyrrhotite, pyrite ± chalcopyrite, calcite, quartz, andradite and diopside. The lower tailings mainly contain goethite, quartz, chlorite, muscovite, calcite and hematite ± pyrrhotite. These assemblages clearly relate to the original types of gold deposit prior to mining and mineral processing. The upper tailings are defined as potential acid forming (PAF), whereas the lower tailings are classified as non-acid forming (NAF). Regarding heavy metals, apart from high Mn level, the other heavy metals appear to have low concentrations in the upper tailings. On the other hand, the lower tailings contain high contents of As, Cu and Pb, which appear to be higher than the National Total Threshold Limit Concentrations. Goethite, the main mineral assemblage in the lower tailings, reveals characteristic of arsenic adsorbent. As a result, the tailing pond is recommended to be covered to prevent the oxidizing processes of the upper tailings; otherwise, AMD generation may take place soon after the mine closure. Land reclamation and monitoring plans must be planned very well and carried out with great care since arsenic contamination has been reported in steam water close to the tailing dam.     

Use of poly(lactic acid) amendments to promote the bacterial fixation of metals in zinc smelter tailings

The ability of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) to serve as a long-term source of lactic acid for bacterial sulfate reduction activity in zinc smelter tailings was investigated. Solid PLA polymers mixed in water hydrolyzed abiotically to release lactic acid into solution over an extended period of time. The addition of both PLA and gypsum was required for indigenous bacteria to lower redox potential, raise pH, and stimulate sulfate reduction activity in highly oxidized smelter tailings after one year of treatment. Bioavailable cadmium, copper, lead and zinc were all lowered significantly in PLA/gypsum treated soil, but PLA amendments alone increased the bioavailability of lead, nickel and zinc. Similar PLA amendments may be useful in constructed wetlands and reactive barrier walls for the passive treatment of mine drainage, where enhanced rates of bacterial sulfate reduction are desirable.     

Effects of Compost on Colonization of Roots of Plants Grown in Metalliferous Mine Tailings, as Examined by Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization

The relationship between compost amendment, plant biomass produced, and bacterial root colonization as measured by fluorescence in situ hybridization was examined following plant growth in mine tailings. Mine tailings can remain devoid of vegetation for decades after deposition due to a combination of factors that include heavy metal toxicity, low pH, poor substrate structure and water-holding capacity, and a severely impacted heterotrophic microbial community. Research has shown that plant establishment, a desired remedial objective to reduce eolian and water erosion of such tailings, is enhanced by organic matter amendment and is correlated with significant increases in rhizosphere populations of neutrophilic heterotrophic bacteria. Results show that for the acidic metalliferous tailings tested in this study, compost amendment was associated with significantly increased bacterial colonization of roots and increased production of plant biomass. In contrast, for a Vinton control soil, increased compost had no effect on root colonization and resulted only in increased plant biomass at high levels of compost amendment. These data suggest that the positive association between compost amendment and root colonization is important in the stressed mine tailings environment where root colonization may enhance both microbial and plant survival and growth.     

Amendment-assisted revegetation of mine tailings: improvement of tailings quality and biomass production

Abstract

Mining activities have left a legacy of metals containing tailings impoundments. After mine closure, reclamation of mine wastes can be achieved by restoration of a vegetation cover. This study investigated the impact of biochar (BC), biosolids (BS), humic substances (HS), and mycorrhizal fungi (MF) for improving mine tailings fertility and hydraulic properties, supporting plant establishment, tailings revegetation, and enabling growth of energy crops. We conducted a pot trial by growing willow, poplar, and miscanthus in Pb/Zn/Cu mine tailings untreated or amended with two rates of amendments (low or high input). Biosolids resulted in the most significant changes in tailings properties, neutralizing pH and increasing organic carbon, nutrient concentrations, cation exchange capacity, water retention, and saturated hydraulic conductivity. The greatest increase in energy crops production was also observed in BS treatments enabling the financial viability of mine reclamation. Although BC resulted in significant improvements in tailings fertility and hydraulic properties, its impact on biomass was less pronounced, most likely due to lower N and P available concentrations. Increases in willow and miscanthus biomass were observed in HS and MF treatments in spite of their lower nutrient content. A pot experiment is underway to assess synergistic effects of combining BS with BC, HS, or MF.